Could Crossrail And Thameslink Serve Clapham Junction Station?
This may seem a silly question, but I believe it is a valid one for the following reasons.
Clapham Junction Is A Major Interchange
Wikipedia says this about Clapham Junction station.
Routes from London’s south and south-west termini, Victoria and Waterloo funnel through the station, making it the busiest in Europe by number of trains using it: between 100 and 180 per hour except for the five hours after midnight. The station is also the busiest UK station for interchanges between services.
It is also the tenth busiest station measured by passenger numbers in Great Britain.
Clapham Junction Is Step-Free
Clapham Junction station has both a bridge and a subway between the seventeen platforms.
The bridge is fully step-free with lifts to all platforms.
Clapham Junction Has A Wide Bridge
The bridge between platforms is not only step-free, but very wide.
rchitects have copied this Victorian design at Leeds and Reading stations.
Clapham Junction Is Often A Convenient Place to Change Trains
When I go to Portsmouth or Southampton, I will often avoid Waterloo, by using the Overground between Dalston Junction and Clapham Junction stations.
It may be slower, but it is a very easy interchange, especially if I go step-free on the wide bridge.
Perhaps this explains why interchange passengers at Clapham Junction, are almost as many as those entering or leaving the rail network.
With some journeys like say Southampton to Wembley Stadium, changing at Clapham Junction is probably the most convenient.
Clapham Junction Links To The Overground
This interchange, is something I use a lot, as I have four trains per hour (tph) on the London Overground, from my nearest station at Dalston Junction.
As there are thirty-one stations on London’s circular railway, the interchange probably generates a lot of traffic.
Clapham Junction Seems To Be Well-Organised
If you want to go to say Gatwick, then generally the same platform will be used.
All Trains To Gatwick Go From 13
This can’t be said for many stations.
The station even has lists of stations and the platform to use.
This would be impossible at most large stations!
But this is the busiest station in Europe by the number of trains using it!
The Victorians certainly got the design right!
Does this passenger-friendly design attract passengers?
Crossrail, Thameslink And Clapham Junction Station
Crossrail and Thameslink don’t call at Clapham Junction station.
But some services do directly link Crossrail and Thameslink to Clapham Junction station.
London Overground From Stratford To Clapham Junction Via Willesden Junction
This West London Line service has a frequency of four tph, which from some time this year will be raised to six tph or one train every ten minutes.
It will have the following interchanges in the future.
- Thameslink at West Hampstead
- Crossrail at Old Oak Common
It will also have interchanges with the Bakerloo, Central, District, Jubilee and Victoria Lines.
London Overground From Stratford To Clapham Junction Via Canada Water
This South London Line service has a frequency of four tph, which from some time this year will be raised to six tph.
It will have the following interchanges in the future.
- Thameslink at Denmark Hill and Peckham Rye
- Crossrail at Whitechapel
It will also have interchanges with the District, Docklands Light Railway, Hammersmith and City,Jubilee and Northern Lines.
Southern From East Croydon To Milton Keynes
This West London Line service has a frequency of one tph.
It will have the following interchanges in the future.
- Thameslink at East Croydon
- Crossrail at Old Oak Common
If Crossrail is extended along the West Coast Main Line, there will be additional interchange stations.
It will also have interchanges with the Bakerloo, Central, District and Northern Lines.
Southern From Clapham Junction To Brighton Main Line
There is a high-frequency service from Clapham Junction along the Brighton Main Line.
- 3 tph – Brighton
- 1 tph – Hastings
- 2 tph – Eastbourne
- 2 tph – Littlehampton
- 4 tph – Horsham
- 4 tph – Haywards Heath
- 4 tph – Three Bridges
- 6 tph – Gatwick Airport
- 12 tph – East Croydon
Most of these services terminate at Victoria.
The named stations, except for Hastings and Eastbourne, will also be served by Thameslink.
From the passenger point of view, those going to and from London from the Brighton Main Line and South Coast stations, have a choice of London terminus.
- Thameslink – London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, Farringdon, St. Pancras and Thameslink’s Northern stations.
- Southern – Clapham Junction and ictoria.
The two separate routes have Central London fully covered.
Deficiencies Of The Current System
Suppose you want to travel from the extremities of Crossrail and Thameslink to say somewhere like Basingstoke, Bournemouth, Exeter, Portsmouth or Southampton, that is served by Waterloo and Clapham Junction in Central London.
- From Brighton and other stations on the South of Thameslink, there is a high-frequency Southern service.
- From Luton and other stations on the North of Thameslink, you will probably use the Jubilee Line between London Bridge and Waterloo.
- From Shenfield and other stations on the East of Crossrail, you will probably use the Jubilee Line between Bond Street and Waterloo.
- From Heathrow, Reading and other stations on the West of Crossrail, you will probably use the Bakerloo Line between Paddington and Waterloo.
All the Underground interchanges will be fully step-free with lifts and lots of escalators, but the connections could be simpler.
The Arrival Of Old Oak Common Station
The building of the new mega-hub station at Old Oak Common will tie together the following lines.
- Crossrail
- HS2
- North London Line
- West Coast Main Line
- West London Line
There is also the possibility of the West London Orbital Railway linking Old Oak Common to Hendon and West Hampstead Thameslink.
Old Oak Common and Clapham Junction stations will be two mega-hub stations, that for obvious reasons will need a high-frequency connection service.
Currently, that is planned to be the following services.
- 6 tph – London Overground from Stratford to Clapham Junction.
- 1 tph – Southern from Milton Keynes to East Croydon.
It is not enough, especially, if either connection at Old Oak Common and Clapham Junction is a long walk.
But there are easy ways to increase the numbers of connections.
Improve The Southern Service
In his report, Chris Gibb recommended that this Milton Keynes to East Croydon route be transferred to the London Overground. I wrote about this in Gibb Report – East Croydon – Milton Keynes Route Should Be Transferred To London Overground.
In my view Chris Gibb is right for the following reasons.
- All passenger services on the West London Line would then be run by London Overground.
- London Overground have a reputation for running a good train service.
- The Milton Keynes to East Croydon service could be integrated with the Watford DC Line, the North London Line and a possible West London Orbital Railway to produce an integrated frequent local service in an area of West London, that needs a greatly improved train service.
- Frequency between Old Oak Common and Clapham Junction could be raised to as high as ten or twelve tph.
- It would improve connections between Watford and the expanding Wembley Stadium complex with South London.
I doubt it would be an expensive and difficult project to move this service between operators.
Build The West London Orbital Railway And Extend It To Clapham Junction
In this article on Ian Visits, this is said about the service on the proposed West London Orbital line.
Phase 1: 4 trains per hour from West Hampstead to Hounslow, calling at West Hampstead, Cricklewood, Neasden, Harlesden, OOC, Acton Central, South Acton, Brentford, Syon Lane, Isleworth, Hounslow.
Phase 2: additional 4 trains per hour from Hendon to Kew Bridge, calling at Hendon, Brent Cross/Staples Corner, Neasden, Harlesden, OOC, Acton Central, South Acton, Kew Bridge.
The track is all in place and with a new bay platform at Hounslow, trains running on batteries could work Phase 1 with ease. The batteries would be charged South of Acton Central station.
Because of the importance of Clapham Junction as an interchange,, would it be a sensible idea to extend Phase 2 from Kew Bridge to Clapham Junction, by way of Chiswick, Barnes Bridge, Barnes, Putney and Wandsworth Town stations?
This may not be possible, as the route may not be able to accept four extra trains.
This map from carto.metro.free.fr shows the track layout around the two Overground platforms at Clapham Junction.
I also took these pictures of Platform 2.
I suspect that a bay platform could be added, opposite to Platform 2.
- There would appear to be plenty of space.
- The platform would share the lift, facilities and staff with Platforms 1 and 2.
- It would make a good interchange, with simple connections to Platforms 1 and 2.
There could even be the possibility of making Platform 2 bi-directional so that a loop service from Hendon to Dalston Junction could be created, if that was considered the best solution.
One advantage of extending the Phase 2 Kew Bridge route, would be that it would give more electrified running to charge a battery train.
Luton/Bedford to Clapham Junction
If this route from Hendon to Clapham Junction via Old Oak Common and Kew Bridge can be successfully created, it establishes the important link between the Luton/Bedford branch of Thameslink and Clapham Junction.
Cambridge/Peterborough to Clapham Junction
There is no direct route, but probably the fastest is to dive into the Victoria Line at Finsbury Park and go to Vauxhall, from where it’s a single stop to Clapham Junction.
Just avoid changing to the Victoria Line at St. Pancras, unless you like long walks.
Crossrail to Clapham Junction
Three factors will determine how good using a double change at Old Oak Common and Clapham Junction to get between Crossrail and Clapham Junction will be.
- The frequency of trains between Old Oak Common and Clapham Junction.
- The quality of the interchange at Old Oak Common. As it will also involve HS2, I suspect it should be good.
- The quality of the interchange at Clapham Junction. It probably needs improvement, but it’s not bad for something designed by the Victorians.
It could be a very good link.
Could Thameslink Serve Clapham Junction Directly?
From the Brighton Main Line, there is a frequent service, but going North to Thameslink is not easy.
It could be possible to use the West London Orbital Railway to get to and from Hendon, but whether anything other than a local route is needed is open to doubt.
Could Crossrail Serve Clapham Junction Directly?
This Google Map shows the Old Oak Common area.
The railway running across the map to the North is the West Coast Main Line, whilst the Great Western Main Line goes across the bottom.
Looking at the map in detail, it might be possible to thread flyovers or dive-unders into the area to allow Crossrail trains to take the West London Line to the North or South from the East or West.
Consider
- There are certainly some large industrial sites that could be cleared.
- There are a couple of cemetries too.
- There are Central, Chiltern, Crossrail, Great Western Main Line, HS2, North London Line, West Coast Main Lines to connect together.
- A Heathrow to Gatwick Link could be threaded through.
It all depends on how much can be spent!
And Then There’s The Heathrow Southern Railway!
This is a bit different, as it’s a privately-funded railway that aims to sneak into Heathrow by following and hiding by the M25 and the use of the odd tunnel.
This map is a schematic of the proposed railway, which is caused the Heathrow Southern Railway.
Note.
- The blue line is Crossrail.
- The yellow line is a direct link from Waterloo to Heathrow.
- The station in a six pointed star is Clapham Junction.
On the Heathrow Southern Railway web site there is a section called Service Opportunities.
It details two routes.
Heathrow – Staines – Clapham Junction – Waterloo
- Most track is existing.
- New track will run along the M25.
- Trains will be fully-integrated with South Western Railway.
- Four tph should be possible with planned capacity improvements.
- A bay platform will be added at Staines, within the current railway.
- Xrossrail could be extended from Terminal 5 to Staines.
Heathrow Southern Railway envisage that a lot of passengers from Staines will use Crossrail for London.
Basingstoke/Guildford – Woking – Heathrow – Paddington
The web site says this about the route.
An exciting additional benefit of Heathrow Southern Railway is the scope to introduce half-hourly services from Basingstoke and Guildford to Heathrow and Paddington. These trains would provide a 15-minute frequency from Woking, with stops at Farnborough Main (Basingstoke services), Woking, Terminal 5, Terminal 2 and 3 and Old Oak Common.
I like the ideas and the tone of the project.
Conclusion
With all the ideas in the West of London, I think that some very good things will happen to the railways in the area, whether Heathrow Airport builds another runway or not.
In
Thameslink Is Now Serving Peterborough And Cambridge
This article in the Standard is entitled First Direct Trains From Cambridge To Brighton Via Central London Launch.
This is said about the initial service.
There will be one return service from Brighton to Cambridge, departing at 11.32am from Brighton and 2.14pm from Cambridge, and two between Horsham and Peterborough. These will depart at 10am and 1.30pm from Horsham and 9.46am and 1.17pm from Peterborough.
Do it looks like things are getting started.
Unfortunately, they’re not running on Saturday, when Greater Anglia is employing the dreaded buses.
Kensington (Olympia) Station Full Tube Service Restoration Petition Signed By More Than 10,000
The title of this post is the same as the title of this article on getwestLondon.
The article states that advantages of restoring a full Tube service include.
- Better Tube service for local residents and business.
- Ease congestion.
- Improve air quality.
- Provide a step-free station for everybody.
But this paragraph is surely the most relevant.
Footfall at Olympia London has risen from 700,000 to 1.6m since 2011 (when the full Tube service was removed), and is likely to increase over the coming years. Only by having a full Tube service can local transport options meet this increasing demand.
The more the footfall increases, the greater the need for a full Tube service.
Service on the District Line
The Wikipedia entry for Kensington(Olympia) station, has a section detailing the District Line Service.
This is said.
The District line shuttle to Earl’s Court and High Street Kensington runs at weekends and a very limited service also operates during the early morning and evening each weekday. There is no service New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day when these days fall on or partly on a weekend.
Prior to 2011, it was much more frequent.
Service On The West London Line
The Wikipedia entry for Kensington (Olympia) station, has a section detailing the West London Line Service.
This is said.
The London Overground services in trains per hour are:
- 4 northbound to Willesden Junction, of which 2 continue to Stratford during the off-peak and all 4 during the peak.
- 4 southbound to Clapham Junction.
Southern operate between Milton Keynes Central and East Croydon, typically once an hour.
London Overground have plans to increase their service by two trains per hour, starting in 2018.
Kensington ( Olympia ) Station Is Not Fully Step-Free
This Google Map shows the track and platform layout at Kensington (Olympia) station.
Platforms are as follows from West to East.
- 1 – Terminus for District Line
- 2 – Northbound West London Line
- 3 – Southbound West London Line
Note the footbridge linking the island platform 1 and 2, with the other platform 3.
It is not step-free, which means that platforms 1 and 2 have step-free access to Olympia, but platform 3 does not.
Surely, whatever happens to the train service, this bridge must be replaced with one that is step-free.
Getting To And From Kensington (Olympia) Station
It’s easy for me to get to Kensington (Olympia) station, as I just walk to Dalston Kingsland station and get a direct train.
But what fastest routes do you use from these major Underground stations?
- Bank – Change at Shepherd’s Bush
- Canary Wharf – Change at Bond Street and Shepherd’s Bush
- Euston – Change at Willesden Junction
- Finsbury Park – Change at Oxford Circus and Shepherd’s Bush
- Kings Cross St. Pancras – Change at Oxford Circus and Shepherd’s Bush
- Liverpool Street – Change at Shepherd’s Bush
- Paddington – Change at High Street Kensington to a bus.
- Waterloo – Change at Clapham Junction
These routes all used Transport for London’s journey planner.
For some less important stations, you can get some complicated routes.
Marylebone is a classic, which involves two walks, two buses and the Circle Line.
For those, who went to Olympia before 2011, when there was a shuttle from Earl’s Court, will find they will need to change at West Brompton to get from Earl’s Court to Kensington (Olympia).
Wikipedia describes the pre-2011 service like this.
For a period before December 2011 the District line had an irregular short shuttle service of two or three trains per hour to High Street Kensington via Earl’s Court. One late evening train ran daily to Upminster.
To be charitable, you would say it is not a passenger-friendly system for most going to Olympia.
Conclusion
The petitioners would appear to have a very valid point.
Victorian Tunnelling Uncovered At Bank Station
I took these pictures on the Southbound platform of the Northern Line at Bank station.
They show the old Victorian lining to the tunnel.
This visualisation, shows what the new Bank station will look like.
Note.
- The current two Northern Line tunnels are furthest away in the visualisation, with the Northbound one on the outside.
- The lines are aligned left sides together, which is opposite to normal British practice.
- The stairs that lead down from the passageways in the middle, where the tunnel size changes to accommodate the current platforms.
The plan looks to be as follows.
- A new Southbound tunnel will be dug to by-pass the current station. This tunnel is shown in the foreground.
- The current Southbound tunnel will be closed to trains.
- Southbound trains will be diverted to the new tunnel and possibly pass through Bank station without stopping for some time.
- The former Northern tunnel will be used to increase space for the Northbound platform.
Could the fitting out of all the tunnels in the middle be done last, with trains passing through on the outside?
A similar procedure was used at Angel, which explains the extra wide Southbound platform.
TfL Drives Forward With ‘Hugely Exciting’ Tube Station Development
The title of this post, is the same as the title of this article in Rail Technology Magazine.
The station involved is South Kensington station,
Work to be done includes.
- New housing will be added.
- Upgrading of the Grade II listed shopping arcade.
- A second entrance developed via the pedestrian subway will be developed.
- Facilities will be improved for current and new residents.
- Step-free access will be provided to the District and Circle Lines.
This article in the Architects Journal gives more details.
- Rogers Stirk Harbour are the architects.
- Native Land are the developers.
The article also hopes everything can be completed by 2022.
Is this development the shape of things to come?
You have the following.
- A tube station which is not in the best condition.
- There is space to add much-needed housing.
- It is an important transport location.
- Annual passenger entry and exit in 2016 was 33.6 million.
- It is a building with a partial Grade II Listing.
- TfL have appointed a world-class firm of architects.
A successful property developer, with access to finance, could turn this into something that benefits all stakeholders; local residents;TfL, London taxpayers, staff and passengers.
Within walking distance or a short bus ride of my house, there are seven stations.
- Dalston Junction is a new station with step-free access and high-rise housing on top.
- Haggerston station is a new step-free station, that is probably fully developed.
- Canonbury station is an older station, that has been made step-free. It is fully-developed.
But, the other four need development.
Dalston Kingsland
Dalston Kingsland station was rebuilt in the last couple of years with a new gate line and booking office.
- The station has narrow platforms, not much shelter and no step-free access.
- Passenger entry and exit for 2016-17 were over six million.
- Next door, Taylor Wimpey are building a residential tower called 57 East.
Full development of this station is probably waiting for a decision about Crossrail 2.
Essex Road
Essex Road station is a station out of another era, but what era is hard to say.
- It is a solid red brick building, built around the start of the Twentieth Century.
- The building has little architectural merit.
- Underground, the history of the station is echoed by faded Underground and Network Southeast liveries.
- It could do with a good clean.
- Access to the trains is by lifts and could probably stand-in for access to one of London’s Second World War bunkers.
- It may have lifts, but it is not step-free.
- Passenger entry and exit in 2016-17 was under a million.
It is a seriously neglected station.
This Google Map shows the location of the station.
It is on a junction of two major roads, with some gardens, a few local stops and several important bus routes.
If the train-related parts of the building were updated with modern decor and lighting, full step-free access, this station could see a serious increase in passenger traffic.
The following, should also be born in mind.
- The rather rudimentary forty-year old Class 313 trains will be replaced by brand-new Class 717 trains designed for the unique operation of the Northern City Line.
- The new trains should bring an increase in frequency in trains through Essex Road station.
- At the end of 2018, the Northern City Line will have a step-free connection to Crossrail and a dry underground waking route to Liverpool Street station at Moorgate station.
There is also the possibility, that was raised by Chris Gibb, of transferring the Northern City Line to the London Overground. I wrote about this in Gibb Report – Moorgate Services Could Be Transferred To The London Overground.
So it would appear that whatever happens, the train service and station will be improved and Essex Road station will become a lot more important.
Surely, the obvious way to pay for the improvements at Essex Road station, is to develop the building into some housing in keeping with the area.
Highbury and Islington
Highbury and Islington station is the fifteenth busiest station in the UK and is busier than Manchester Piccadilly and Edinburgh Waverley.
It is a major interchange between the following lines.
- East London Line
- North London Line
- Victoria Line
- Northern City Line
Currently, it handles nearly thirty million passengers a year.
But that number is surely going to increase.
- The East London Line is adding another four trains per hour (tph)
- Extra trains will be running on the North London Line.
- Dear Old Vicky will cram more passengers in.
- The improved Northern City line will have more and better trains.
- The Northern City Line will provide a step-free connection for Victoria Line passengers to Crossrail.
Highbury and Islington station is a station where the below-ground platforms are in desperate need of improvement and step-free access.
At least there should be no problems demolishing the station buildings at Highbury and Islington, as a flying bomb did that in 1944.
It was an impressive building.
However, there are factors that will help an architect, after the Nazi damage and some unsympathetic 1960s development, when the Victoria Line was built.
- The flying bomb destroyed all parts of the station with architectural merit.
- The Victorian bridge over the Overground lines is being replaced.
- The traffic is being sorted.
- Pedestrian areas are being created to link the station entrance to the green space in the middle of Highbury Corner.
- There is already an unused and intact second entrance to the station on the other side of Holloway Road.
This could be one of the best stations in London, with perhaps some of the best places to live in London on top.
Old Street
Old Street station is another bad station.
- It sits in the middle of a roundabout called Silicon Roundabout.
- The roundabout is surrounded by tower blocks, which are both residential and commercial.
- It is owned by Transport for London.
- It is served by the Northern and Northern City Lines.
- Passenger entrances and exits are amos thirty million a year.
- The station has escalators, but is not step-free.
This is surely, a site, where a tall residential block should be built above an improved station.
But getting the right building and mix will be difficult.
Conclusion
These four could all be redeveloped by imaginative architects and property developers to create better transport hubs and a sensible amount of useful housing development.
I hope TfL, architects and developers are scouring London for suitable sites.
Minister Confirms There Are ‘No Plans’ To Extend Crossrail To Basingstoke
The title of this post is the same as the title of this article on Rail Technology Magazine.
This is the first two paragraphs.
Jo Johnson has confirmed that there are no plans to lengthen Crossrail to Basingstoke despite speculation from other MPs.
Following questioning from North East Hampshire Conservative MP Ranil Jayawardena, the rail minister said the government’s priority was to see the current project delivered on time before considering any additional work
It is my view that Basingstoke, is one of several places, which have been mentioned as possible terminals for Crossrail.
A list could include.
- Basingstoke
- Beaulieu
- Chelmsford
- Ebbsfleet
- Gravesend
- High Wycombe
- Milton Keynes
- Oxford
- Southend Airport
- Southend Victoria
- Tring
Note.
- Some are safeguarded.
- Some have been promoted stronger than others and it is reasonable to assume that MPs will want Crossrail to turn up in their constituency.
These facts about Crossrail, say to me that extra destinations will be added.
- The current provisional schedule is twenty-four train per hour (tph), through the central tunnel.
- The capacity of the central tunnel is sometimes stated as thirty tph.
- Twelve tph are scheduled to be terminated at Paddington.
The initial infrastructure doesn’t seem to be pushed too hard.
This probably gives speculation to where the spare trains will go.
T
Is Hydrogen The Answer?
This excellent article on Rail Engineer, is a very good analysis of using hydrogen to power trains.
It is also crammed full of facts!
A Class 700 Train In Platform 5 At London Bridge Station
I took these pictures of a Class 700 train in Platform 5 at London Bridge station.
I assume it was there for driver training and was waiting to pass through the central section of Thameslink.
According to the March 2018 Edition of Modern Railways services through the Central London core will be.
May 2018: 18 Thameslink trains per hour (tph) through central London core (12 tph via London Bridge and six via Elephant & Castle)
At least drivers and other staff seem to be getting trained.
Distilling the report in Modern Railways, gives the following service from May 2018.
Via London Bridge
- 2 tph – Bedford – Brighton – semi-fast/fast – 12-car – All Day
- 2 tph – Bedford – Gatwick Airport- semi-fast/semi-fast – 12-car – All Day
- 2 tph – Peterborough – Horsham – semi-fast/semi-fast – 12-car – All Day
- 1 tph – Cambridge – Brighton – semi-fast-fast – 12-car – All Day
- 2 tph – Bedford – East Grinstead – fast/stopping – 12-car – Peak Only
- 1 tph – Bedford – Littlehampton – fast/fast – 12-car Peak Only
- 2 tph – Luton – Rainham – all stations/all stations – 12-car – All Day
Note.
- This means seven tph all day between central London and Gatwick.
- semi-fast/fast means semi-fast North of the Thames and fast South of the Thames etc.
Via Elephant & Castle
- 4 tph – St. Albans – Sutton – all stations/all stations – 8-car – All Day
- 2 tph – Luton/Kentish Town – Orpington – 8 car – All Day
Note.
- The four tph St. Albans – Sutton go round the Sutton Loop, with two tph in each direction.
Commitment To West London Orbital Rail Line
The title of this post, is the same as that of this article in Global Rail News.
This is the first three paragraphs of the article.
A new West London Orbital rail line has been included in a revised 25-year Transport Strategy for the city.
Its addition follows a public consultation. The document describes an extension of the Overground network connecting Hounslow with Cricklewood and Hendon via Old Oak, Neasden and Brent Cross.
The line would reinstate a regular passenger service on the Dudding Hill line, which links Acton and Cricklewood.
I like this proposal and I wrote about the railway in New Railway Line For West London Proposed.
In the related post, I said this about building the line.
This is no Crossrail or HS2, where billions need to be spent.
The three largest sub-projects would be.
Electrification of the Dudding Hill Line, if it is to be done.
Resignalling of the Dudding Hill Line.
Necessary track replacement and updating.
In addition, there are around ten station projects.There will also be a need for up to perhaps sixteen Class 710 trains. This could be around £90-100 million.
Since, I wrote that, things have moved on.
Trains
The first order for Class 230 trains has been placed, giving them credibility.
They could do the short routes on batteries.
But if these trains can do it on batteries, why can’t Class 710 trains?
So that means no new electrification!
Stations
Some of the stations, that will need to be built or modified, like Harlesden or Neasden, sit on sizeable brownfield sites.
Surely, property developers can be persuaded to build a station underneath much-needed housing.
It’s all about good design and very much in the Mayor’s thinking and the property developers’ interests!
Project Management
Get this right and, the line could be built simply and reasonably quickly.
The West London Orbital could be built to the following specification.
- No full electrification.
- Battery trains.
- Platforms long enough for four-car Class 710 trains.
- Bay platforms with possible charging at West Hampstead, Hendon, Hounslow and Kew Bridge stations.
- Four tph on both routes.
It lends itself to a very efficient way of building the railway.
- Update the tracks and signalling as required on the route.
- Build a platform on the freight line through West Hampstead Thameslink station.
- Build a bay platform that will accept a four-car train at Hounslow station.
- Establish a four tph shuttle service between West Hampstead Thameslink and Hounslow stations calling at Acton Central, South Acton, Brentford, Syon Lane and Isleworth.
- Stations could be built at Neasden, Harlesden and Old Oak Common, where there is a generous amount of brownfield land, with lots of space for housing above the tracks and platforms.
- Add a bay platform at Hendon and Kew Bridge stations.
- Establish a second four tph shuttle service between Hendon and Kew Bridge stations calling at Neasden, Harlesden, Old Oak Common, Acton Central and South Acton.
Note.
- Batteries would be charged South of Acton Central using the existing third-rail electrification.
- About five miles of the route would not be electrified.
- Housing developments on top of a station are a property developers dream.
The service could be started using Class 230 trains, with the option to switch to four-car Class 710 trains, powered by batteries, when more capacity is needed and Bombardier have fully developed the battery Aventra.
Is Crossrail Having An Affect On Train Purchases In The South East?
Crossrail and Crossrail 2 are designed to take-over suburban lines out of London.
Crossrail’s Trains
Crossrail has chosen to use Class 345 trains, which are Aventras built by Bombardier in Derby.
I would suspect that if Crossrail 2 is built, it will use the same trains, as a unified fleet must be easier and more affordable to manage.
Crossrail’s Suburban Routes
It is worth looking at the routes these services will take over and their future train fleets.
Great Eastern Main Line To Shenfield
The slow lines of the Great Eastern Main Line have been taken over by Crossrail to provide a service to their terminus at Shenfield.
Greater Anglia have chosen to replace their assorted suburban fleet with Class 720 trains, which are also Aventras.
This must be a sensible move, as there is likely to be a certain amount of platform sharing between Crossrail and Greater Anglia between Liverpool Street and Shenfield.
Wheelchair ramps would be the same, or would level access from platform to train be provided.
These pictures show Class 345 trains at Liverpool Street and Stratford stations.
The step is not bad, but it is less than some on the London Overground. However, a few well-placed Harrington Humps would probably make entry and exit a lot easier.
It also must help, if Crossrail extends its route past Shenfield to perhaps Beaulieu, Chelmsford or Southend Victoria. Platforms updated for Greater Anglia’s Class 720 trains, would surely fit Crossrail’s Class 345 trains.
I also don’t think there are any platform length issues, although my research says that ten-car Class 720 trains are longer than nine-car Class 345 trains.
Great Western Main Line To Heathrow and Reading
The slow lines of the Great Western Main Line have been taken over by Crossrail to provide a service to their termini at Heathrow and Reading.
Great Western Railway (GWR) were forced to use Class 387 trains, due to electrification delays on the Great Western Main Line and late deliveries of Class 700 trains for Thameslink.
This is all a bit of a dog’s breakfast and I think there’ll be a bit of a sort-out, with perhaps..
- Electrification to Basingstoke, Newbury and Oxford.
- Crossrail with an increased frequency, serving all stations between London and Reading.
- Bedwyn and Oxford would be served by GWR’s five-car Class 800 trains, which would be at 125 mph between Eddington and Reading.
There could be some rather nice Class 387 trains going cheap?
But the result would be the slow lines would be Crossrail-only!
West Coast Main Line To Milton Keynes
This is a possible extension to Crossrail, from the mega hub at Old Oak Common station.
The current local operators on the West Coast Main Line are London Overground and West Midlands Trains.
Both operators have ordered new Aventras for these routes out of London.
London Overground is even replacing modern Class 378 trains with new Class 710 trains on the Watford DC Line.
Suburban Services Out Of Waterloo
If Crossrail 2 gets built, then some of these services will be taken over.
South Western Railway (SWR) have already ordered Class 701 trains for these routes.
This would appear to be a sensible move, as any improvements to platforms and stations made by SWR, will be compatible with Crossrail 2.
West Anglia Main Line To Broxbourne
If Crossrail 2 gets built, then some of these services along the West Anglia Main Line, will be taken over.
Greater Anglia have already ordered Class 720 trains for these routes.
This would appear to be another sensible move, as any improvements made by Greater Anglia, will be compatible with Crossrail 2.
Even after Crossrail 2 opens, Greater Anglia services will still be using the West Anglia Main Line, so there should be no compatibility problems.
North Kent Line To Abbey Wood, Ebbsfleet and Gravesend
The Mayor of London, several London Boroughs and other groups are pushing to extend Crossrail to Ebbsfleet.
Currently, there is a mixture of trains on the North Kent Line,
Consider.
- .In a few years time, there will be a new franchise holder.
- It is likely that a lot of trains will be replaced.
- It is likely that Crossrail and existing North Kent services will share a two-track railway.
It strikes me that there is a high chance that these replacement trains will be Aventras, as this will create a more efficient railway.
How Compatible Are Class 700 Trains With Aventras?
This question has to be asked, as the two different classes of trains will share routes and platforms.
- Along the North Kent Line if Crossrail is extended.
- Around the Cambridge area, where Thameslink and Greater Anglia share platforms.
I would assume that they must be very compatible, as the railway press isn’t saying anything to the contrary.
Surely, in a sensible world, both Thameslink and Crossrail would have used the same class of train!
Conclusion
It looks like there are advantages to having a line run by one family of trains.
- All trains will fit all platforms.
- Platform procedures will be similar for passengers and staff.
- Aventras can be fitted with the latest signalling and control systems.
Will these shared characteristics result in extra capacity?
The Anonymous Widower 